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NITED STATES nPATENT OFFICE. i

THOS. F. ADAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR PRINTING IN COLORS.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 3,744, dated September 17, 1844:.

T0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS FARMER ADAMS, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful improvement in the inode of printing in colors, which I denominate polychromatic printing,7 by which any number of 4colors may be printed at one impression; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a representation of the fountains Fig. 2, is the form of type Fig. 3, fountains detached.

The nature of my invention consists in combining several ink fountains together so as to distribute ink therefrom onto the rollers that pass over the form in stripes surrounding said rollers so that the different lines of type will be inked with different colors.

The construction is as follows: An iron or other suitable ledge or shelf f, Fig. 1, is fixed in a proper position beside any ordinary printing press opposite the form of types as represented by Fig. 2. In the shelf there is a groove cut lengthwise making it in the form of a trough into which is fitted any number of fountains for ink. The fountains are square or oblong reservoirs the sides and bottom of which are stout and the ends are of very thin metal these ends have a notch cut out of them as shown in the end `views Fig. 3, where they are represented detached from the shelf f, into these reservoirs are fitted rollers a, that extend fro-m one end to the other and have a` shoulder turned down on their ends that just lill the recess cut in the ends and project out flush with the outside of the ends of the reservoir. The reservoirs may be made of any suitable length and contain the colored ink required a series of these are placed side by side in the groove in the shelf f the colors being distributed in any variety as shown in the drawing. From one Vend of each of the rollers a, abo-ve there is a square projection b, Fig. 3, that lits into a mortise o of the succeeding one (see the oppositeend of a roller above, same figure), and the whole series is thus linked together so as to be moved as one roller, or instead of this, a feathered shaft may run through the whole by which they can be turned, to regulate the quantity of ink delivered by these rollers there is a scraper of steel e put on the top of the fountain of the usual form and application and regulated by a set screw Z in the common way.

The rollers are turned as in ordinary inking machines and the series take the place of an ordinary fountain and deliver the ink so as to be distributed onto the inking roller in bands of color the length of the several fountains, each separate color being laid upon the inking roller in its proper place and distinct from those each side of it; all t-he rest of the apparatus is common to ordinary printing machinery.

Travelers should not be used, unless it is desired to blend the colors of two or more contiguous fountains, when small wooden travelers of the usual construction can be used.

It will be obvious that these fountains can be changed in any variety of positions and colors at pleasure by merely transposing them or substituting others in their place.

Having thus fully described my improved apparatus and the operation thereof, what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The combination of a series of separate and complete inking fountains constructed and arranged substantially as herein described, with a common inking apparatus so as t0 impart to the ordinary inking roller various colored inks at one operation, in the manner and for the purpose before set forth.

THOMAS F. ADAMS. Vitnesses:

J. J. GREENOUGH, LAFAYETTE CALDWELL. 

